


I Kept Them for You

by supercalifragili



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Anal Sex, Florist AU, Florist Liam, Florist Louis, Fluff, M/M, and other things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-02-14 09:36:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2186748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercalifragili/pseuds/supercalifragili
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"There was nothing Louis could not love about him when all cautiousness and restraint left Liam’s body. The firmness of Liam’s hands on his middle when would be alarmed of Louis falling off the stairs while arranging the Gardenias on the top shelf by the entrance. How Liam smiled and his eyes would crinkle when they’d go eating during break and Louis would invent a backstory for the people at the bar. How Liam lifted him up when he earned his degree cupped his face and smooching him on the forehead, how Liam after countless pleas from Niall, Harry, Zayn and Louis himself slept on the king bed of Harry’s apartment with all of them and snuggled close to Louis wrinkling his shirt for comfort. How Liam looked the next morning sipping through his sugar-loaded cup of tea, all lax and cuddly."</p><p>Or<br/>Louis likes to wonder about how good Liam would look sorrounded by a pile of flowers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Uhm, Lilo is amazing? Lmao, I’m silly. I hope you’ll like it? All mistakes are mine and apologize in advance for them, I'm sorry. I hope you will enjoy reading this and yeah, thank you very much!

It's days Louis prods at Liam, it's days Louis tries to make him crack and it'd be working if Liam weren't so damn gentle and understanding-which is even more annoying because there's nothing to understand-maybe one thing, but Louis just needs to tell himself that Liam will never actually reciprocate his feelings, hence, that one is out. Harry says it's more about how Liam never shares anything too private about himself, and that's a load of bollocks if you ask Louis because Liam is sex-and love but looks like sex too.

Louis talks a lot and says a load of crap for someone who is turning twenty-four, so when he asks Liam to spend the night before Christmas with him slurring words on Liam's neck, he doesn't really know how to stop his mouth from adding more information-as if that changes something.

"We could watch movies together and you could sing _Happy Birthday_ to me in your syrupy voice, please Liam?" he encourages nosing at Liam’s cheeks-being fairly drunk is such a blessing at times.

Liam smiles, of course he does and Louis would like to bite him, but he doesn't think that's a good idea. Louis is a good person, he calls himself that, and he doesn’t take advantage of people-it goes a bit to shit when Liam is the person involved.

"Louis, you have to go home remember? You said you'd go home to your mother, spend your Birthday there and come home on the day after Boxing Day to stay with Harry, Zayn and Niall" Louis hears Liam whisper under the low buzzing of the music that fills the bar. The grainy sound of Liam’s voice scratches at the hollow of Louis’s neck humming fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars.

"Yes, but where are you in all of this? Liam, please. I'm your boss, you should listen to your boss." He whines cupping Liam's face in his hands, scruff scratching at his skin, and Liam’s cheeks are so soft, Louis lulls himself in how warm they are against the palm of his hands.

Liam shakes his head furrowing his eyebrows ready to apologize but Louis shushes him with his hand on Liam’s mouth, his palm tingling at the softness of his lips. He can't see much in the dimmed and lustrous lights of the bar, the smell of wine and beer mixing in the air, the booze has gone to his head so feeling Liam up might not be that horrible to remember.

Liam never comes to drink with them (Louis had to do a lot of pleading for that too before he murmured an 'okay' that was pretty much forced out of his mouth. Lord forgive him if he's in love with Liam, but fuck, Liam is one hell of a maze to get something out of). Louis never had to plead this much for someone; he doesn't fathom how Liam can let him do that without difficulty. The _please, please, pretty please Liam_. When did he even start doing that?

"Ready to go home?" Niall jumps in the booth holding Zayn's hand and Louis would be disgusted at the way they look so flushed and smelling like sex if he wasn’t their friend. He doesn’t want to mention about the tremble in Niall’s voice when he flinched while they were eating- he understands the theory behind under-the-table handjobs.

Louis doesn’t get nor a yes nor a no from Liam, and it bothers him so much he demands a piggyback ride to his place and doesn’t get off Liam even when they are at the doorstep, sniffing the cologne and the warmth of his woolly peacoat. He hears Niall and Zayn murmuring to each other while carrying a very drunk and slouchy Harry with them and Louis reasons it’d be nice if he had fallen in love with Harry, it would have been so easy. Harry is so nice and a little bit clumsy but he charms! He charms everybody-even Louis, but no,it had to be Liam with his horrible eyebrows, face, nose, eyes, and mouth and everything else.

“Lou, bloody hell! Leave him! He’s going to choke!” Niall shouts when Louis drops on the couch dragging Liam with him.

Louis opens his eyes and he manages to understand he stepped into his own apartment by the feel of the enormous couch beneath him and the blinding lamp by the side of the TV.

Liam is actually set to go, already fixing his plaid, smoothing the material over his torso and buttoning up his dark coat-Louis would like to rip that off him. Liam smiles up to him, kisses his hair gently and Louis feels himself pout when Liam says “I’ll see you in a month,” he hugs Zayn and Niall tightly, ruffles Harry’s hair telling them to be safe and look after Louis and leaves closing the door quietly behind him.

Louis trashes on the couch childishly for a few moments and slips off his shoes throwing them at the door that gives to the entrance, he winces a second later remembering he just had it fixed and painted in its auburn colour just not long ago.

“You got to stop being so all over him Lou, really, he will get confused” Zayn says tiredly dropping on the couch and Louis lays his head on Zayn’s lap and sighs, it’s unfair being in love with someone who doesn’t even notice he’s being courted. Maybe Louis’s methods are unconventional and a lot on the line of pestering, but still, Liam should understand.

“Why do I have to do all the work anyway?” He huffs smoothing his fingers on Zayn’s _BUS 1_ tattoo, the ink clear and precise

“Because it’s Liam! He doesn’t see the same things you see!” Niall pipes from the kitchen

“Great friend you are! I’m pretty decent too, I’ll have you know!”

“You know what I mean Lou” Niall retorts and Louis thinks he’d better be making tea because his head hurts and Liam hurts even more. He hears clattering, the sound of the kettle whistling after a while and Niall comes back with two cups of tea, a bottle of water and Panadol… Niall, bless him.

“Come on, you’ll get there one day.” Zayn encourages taking a cup of tea from Niall over his head

“Up for Grease again?” Niall pokes at Louis thigh to lay it on his lap and sips from his tea serene and comforting

“Thanks”

He falls asleep wondering about Liam in tight black pants and he thinks his head is going to explode.

 

-

Louis wakes up with a not so horrible headache wriggling his cold feet in the search of warmth under the blankets smelling of a fresh-bloomed freesia. Zayn and Niall are sleeping on a mass of blankets in front of the couch, tangled in a pile of pillows and cloths, limbs intertwined.

They look so cosy, their faces seem so smooth and relaxed, Louis doesn't have it in his heart to wake them up to let them sleep on his bed. He hears some shuffling around and stands to go in the kitchen where he meets a disheveled Harry that lost his tight black pants and is wearing one of Liam's shirts and is sipping his tea.

It's not that Liam doesn't stay in. Usually at night, when Louis is too tired to manage the accounts for the flower shop Liam helps out, they sit in the living room with their laptops and they eat takeout with the low buzzing of the TV under their voices. Liam's everything is at Louis place, he could actually move out from his own flat and stay with him. Louis likes looking at him when he's writing the sum for the week expenditures and he's so fond of him he can sigh for ages. Liam looks like such a kid in sweats and shirts, and there's always that adorable frown when he can't get something quite right. They talk about everything and he remembers after a month of teasing and Liam getting used to Louis's pestering they could have a conversation that'd last hours and hours. There are two Liam's shirt and one hoodie and Louis sometimes parties in the smell of them, warm and comforting.

"How is your Liam thing going?"

Harry greets him with a cup of coffee and Louis just gestures with his hand, making an aborted noise to accompany it.

"You know you are basically together, right? I checked and he has at least all of the essentials in this place, even this comfy shirt I'm wearing" Harry informs swaying in it

"I know, it's just the head that's not there… How's your Grimmy thing going?"

"Loving and fucking, just great” Harry supposes with a grin on his face and Louis decides to make a toast when Niall and Zayn come in, looking unfairly decent looking for their own good.

"Up for paracetamol?"

They moan approval in unison holding their stomachs and Louis makes them swallow a tablet each before he shakes his head and shoos them away to shower and make out- whatever they need to do before they get to recharge again and fuck on the living room floor.

-

Louis picks up his shoulder bag and sends a text to his mum saying he is on the way and will reach her place soon, he guesses driving with a mild hangover it’s not so bad. He drops the bag in the car, Liam mended it for him for a while ago and that, again, was a wonderful sight to admire, Liam's was apparently studying to become a music engineer, but he was quite handy as well.

Louis shoots a text to Zayn, Niall and Harry, wishing them a good rest before driving down the road back home to Doncaster, Blink 182 playing loudly along the way.

As he pulls in the driveway, he's met with his mum and sisters, which are jumping and screaming ungracefully. Louis feels a pang if guilt twist in his chest, he knows he doesn't visit as much as he used to but every year the promise of coming down to stay for a couple of days goes off the tangent. Louis's mum smiles with tears that glass her eyes and Louis after hugging his sisters goes up to her and hugs her tight too, promising again another visit to which she shakes her head to.

"It's fine, at least you are here. Look at you, your hair got longer," she murmurs threading his hair that reaches the nape of his neck and Louis smiles: Liam one day said he looked like a fairy prince with his hair like that. It might not have been directly said to him, he was talking to a small girl while adorning her hair with daisies. The girl beamed when he finished checking the final look on a mirror by the entrance, she sprinted across the flower shop back to Liam, tiptoeing to give him a peck on the cheek. He looked so good that day, he looked like they could adopt kids and he would braid their hair once a while, adorning them with pink carnations.

"Louis what are you smiling about now?" He caught the last words of his mum while walking in their town house, his sisters running in.

"Is it that Liam boy you always talk of on the phone again? I might have to see him if he makes you this happy" she coos pinching his sides, Louis thinks he took the pinching from her

"Mum! He doesn't even see me the way!"

"He will boy, he will" she pipes up and Louis missed the smell of his house, like tea and flowers with a tinge of orange in the air that seeps through his clothes when he goes back in his apartment.

He spends the entire night at the table telling his mum about how the shop is going, she looks so pleased, Louis promises he’ll take his little sisters there, and they squeal in excitement probably knowing they'll meet Liam instead. After sending them to sleep, Louis sits with his mum going over the income at the shop and she thanks him holding his hands

“Are you sure you’re happy, love?” she asks before going to bed

“I am, mum, ” he reassures her before closing the lights in her room, he showers and brushes his teeth fitting in some pajama bottoms and gets under the covers sniffing the old and ancient

He wishes Liam was there with him to feel it.

 

 

-

It was a long time Louis didn’t spend a calm birthday and when he wakes up to the smell of tea filling the whole room he thinks the day started well already. He checks his mobile under the covers and he’s greeted with three messages and three voicemails which he knows are of Harry, Niall and Zayn that respectively wish him a very calm and twenty-four year old kind of birthday. Louis laughs locking his phone and heads downstairs where he’s met with the sight of his sisters constructing something in a secretive manner.

“Happy Birthday Louis! You can’t look!” Daisy and Phoebe shout in unison before he can duck out of the living room and run to the kitchen. Breakfast is already laid out and his mum greets him with a loud _Happy Birthday!_ that reverberates in his ears and makes his heart swell, he’s twenty-four and he’s grateful. She hugs him closely, and ruffles his hair talking about the croissants filled with strawberry jam of Annie's bakery down the street.

Louis watches the frangipanis in the vase at the centre table while he eats surrounded by his family and considers how long it has passed since he ever felt this grateful for the things and people around him. He was never the type to be able to keep people around him, to prevent people from running away so seeing the texts from Niall, Harry and Zayn made him feel a lot like he achieved everything in life- Liam still didn’t make any move to run so he’s pretty settled about that too.

He spends his whole day staying home, opening gifts and watching films. Occasionally talking on the phone with Harry and receiving calls from Zayn and Niall in turns. He wonders what Liam is doing, if he’s okay and why didn’t he send him a text yet, but he doesn’t dwell on it- he won’t sulk.

He ends up sulking.

It’s four o’clock in the afternoon when he fixes his third coffee, tapping impatiently his foot on the floor and checking his phone once a while- actually every minute. He doesn’t want to feel sad, but if Liam doesn’t call him or text him, he might actually end up considering about finishing the bottle of Jack Daniels his mum hides on the top shelf of their kitchen pantry. He still keeps his smile and goes through the evening feeling pathetic by the minute, he eats his third slice of cake stabbing it piece by piece and he says chirpily how much he loves it to Lottie and the girls.

He wishes a goodnight to everyone and heads to his room stomping his feet like a kid. He gets under the covers huffing and the time on his phone signs two minutes to the end of his birthday when his phone beeps one time signaling a new message, his heart stuttering as he unlocks his phone in apprehension. As soon as he reads the sender, a smile appears on his face

From: Liam the Wonderguy

Happy birthday Lou!!!!

And he thinks he’s never had a birthday this nice.

His phone rings and the id on the screen reveals a picture of Liam’s crinkly eyes when he laughed at Harry because he staggered on a vase of morifoliums, Louis laughs and loses himself a bit recalling the moment. His phone falls on his face while he’s trying to answer and he resolutely feels pretty clumsy-clumsier than Harry is. Mouthing an ouch, he answers the call and he never thought Liam's voice would be so deep and grainy on the phone. It's not the first time they talked on the phone like this, but it's been a day Louis doesn't hear from him.

Liam always sang while arranging the pots of flowers in the shop, he always wore that ridiculous apron that looked pretty tiny on the sturdy figure of his body, least to say the apron was in a floral print too. Louis didn't know Liam understood flowers, but one day sitting by the stools that gave to the back of his store Liam told him about how he always looked up videos on YouTube about flower arrangements and colours. Louis only remembers the excitement in Liam's voice and the way his face lit up while rambling about bluebells and petunias, his flushed cheeks and the way his mouth moved.

"Happy birthday, Lou” Liam starts

"I waited for your text you know? I was deciding on firing you" He complains fiddling with the threads in the thick covers.

"You wouldn't! I'm always on time and I didn't forget I was waiting for the right moment!"

"What was the right moment?"

"There's this idiom, do you know _last but not least_?"

"Got me there" Liam chuckles

"I hope you'll like my present, take it as a Louis-Christmas gift. Sleep now and since it's the occasion, have a wonderful Christmas" Liam whispers, it seems as if he's on the bed, he yawns and Louis can hear the rustling of sheets. Louis would like to have him on his bed, look at him in the eyes and kiss him for it to be a wonderful Christmas.

"Thanks Liam!"

"Goodnight"

He doesn't say goodnight back, Liam hangs up and Louis sighs.

 

-

Christmas flies in a blur of cold wind spiraling inside his coats and cups of hot fuming Horlicks’s. Louis makes his sisters open their gifts early in the morning and he laughs at their ridiculous sweaters which his mum swats him for. It was such a long time since they spent his birthday and Christmas together and Louis wanted to make up for everything he missed. He brought his sisters out in town to let them see the lights and they sipped hot cup of chocolate they bought from the little shops in town, they walked down the streets buying seasonal goods from the kiosks.

When he comes home, there's a flower arrangement by the door and Louis squeaks because that's how Liam disposes flowers, and they all wish him well, happiness and good health, which is so Liam Louis feels merry with it. He sends a quick this arrangement is wonderful! Thank you Liam! His mum teases him about how smitten he is with Liam and Louis can't even stop her; it's true after all. It seeps through his bones and explodes in his face he can’t stop it somehow. He returns home with the flowers Liam gifted him, sitting them in the passenger seat and wallowing in the nice smell they emit.

That's when he decides on how to make Liam understand how he feels. It might be foolishly sweet, but he hopes it’ll work. Liam looks like the type who’d like sweet and old-fashioned courting; Louis can do that for him.

“So to recapitulate, you are going to send him flowers according to their ascending meaning and wait for him to get it and then by the wonderful hand of fate he’ll notice he loves you back and hopefully he will bang you?” Zayn pops popcorn inside his mouth with a pout

“That’s the idea” Louis shakes his head and throws himself on the carpet with a grin

“What if it doesn’t work?”

“I would have to tell him myself” Louis uncaps his bottle of coke and takes gulp from it

“You’re in deep shit” Niall laughs and if Louis weren’t this magnanimous he’d throw him the bottle in his face.

-

After Boxing Day, Louis doesn’t hear from Liam as much. Once graduated from music engineering, he was given the opportunity to travel to Florida with Niall, working with some producers Niall befriended while staying there during in college years. The flower shop is closed and when he thinks about it, he sighs even more. He and Zayn lament in despair sharing sighs and bored looks, the day before Louis’s birthday was the last day Liam was staying in London. Louis misses Liam already, seeing his face and wondering about his smile. Luckily enough, Liam always sent attached pictures messages, one for each day and when Louis’s phone rings blinking a new message Louis knows it’s going to be Liam holding a coconut and pretending to be a monkey; it’s not that, but it’s a picture of Niall sleeping and ‘princesssss’ written across his forehead.

Louis’s days go by unhurriedly without the shop open, he regularly goes by in the mornings and afternoons to water the plants, not even the job as an accountant at one of his friend’s firm can keep him from literally crawling on the floor in pity. Fortunately, Harry makes him help in the bakery and between batter, the hot steam of puddings on double boilers, the enormous oven in the kitchen and Zayn’s eyelashes while he blinks bashfully when the usual call from Niall comes it’s enough to make him go by.

He spends his leisure time in creating a chart for his master plan and he goes over the dates in which he could send the flowers and the span in which each should arrive- he should be paid for this he decides. Zayn and Harry find it one evening when they bitch about how messy he is and torment him to no end sitting in the corner of the couch where Liam usually lays as he tries not to fall asleep when he stays over. Louis would have throttled Zayn and Harry, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so since they adjusted the chart and made sure the deliverer would have brought the flowers in by the time Liam would have been coming home.

Niall comes back the day before New Year’s and Zayn as stoic as he seems to be at times, smiles dazzlingly and hurdles onto him at the airport, it is such a nice sight to see Louis wonders about the stronghold Liam would have had him into if that was them. He hopes his plan will succeed, if it doesn’t, he’s decided on becoming a hermit on the high mountains of the Everest.

Louis spends the last seconds to the New Year’s listening to Liam sing Frank Sinatra in the loud buzzing of music of the party thrown by Harry and Nick. He dreams the last lines of Liam’s voice singing weather wise it's such a groovy day, you just say those words we'll whip those birds down to Acapulco Bays, perfect for a flying honeymoon, they do say, come on fly with me, let's fly, let's fly, pack up your bags and let's get out of here, come on let's fly away. He thinks New Year’s has never been this pleasant.

He feels knackered most nights and he goes through episodes of Game of Thrones alone when in reality he would like to hear Liam’s gasps and mutters of disappointment and outrage as the episode rolls on.

The times Liam calls him are the nicest and Louis would like to see the lines on Liam’s forehead when he can hear the frown in his voice as he says he’s feeling pretty lonely in there, Louis would like to smooth the wrinkles on his forehead and tell him I love you before going to bed. Liam tells him about music and their resemblance to flowers, he sends him snippets of songs and he listens more to the quiet humming in Liam’s voice.

“It’s nice, it’s always hot and there’s not much nature, I wish I could stand in the botanical garden for a while and breathe.”

 Louis would recall the times in which Liam would sit in the garden at the back of the store and look at the greenery around him, breathe in the scented air and ask Louis if that would be what he wanted to smell for the rest of his life. Louis would sit with him on the bench in front of the mass of burnet roses and tell him yeah, I would in a whisper, like divulging a secret.

“You could come home anytime, you know,”

“I know and I miss you!” he says as if it’s a revelation and Louis laughs squeezing his hands on his chest, he wishes Liam wasn’t this oblivious.

“I don’t, Liam. How are poinsettias there?”

And Liam launches in a lengthy description about how beautiful they look and how he’s going to bring some seeds back home with him. Louis listens and thinks Liam’s voice at night is the prettiest sound he could ever hear before closing his eyes.

Louis gets drunk most nights with Harry and Niall while Zayn and makes them tea, mumbling affronts under his breath. Niall kisses him sloppily and thanks him and Zayn relaxes again in his arms. Louis goes to bars and his apartment trashes effortlessly since Liam is not there with him; no matter how many times Liam made him clean his own apartment under attentive supervision, Louis feels settled when he puts steaming hot mugs on the glass table and he hears Liam’s voice saying “Where are the coasters?”. Harry reprimands him and cleans for him sometimes, and some other times he just ruffles Louis’s hair and whispers an “Oh poor Louis”- Louis could retort if he wasn’t feeling this pathetic.

He contents himself with his right hand a lot; he imagines Liam’s voice deep and scratchy in his ears, some topless pictures of him surfing in Flager Beach and the droplets of water he pictures skimming on his body, glistening his tanned skin. He sighs after, drowning himself in long drawn baths and the scent of Liam’s body wash in the bathroom.

When Liam comes back by the end of January, Louis revitalizes again. He cleans and vacuums the carpets, he scrubs and shrubs the bathroom, he revives the coasters and he hopes Liam won’t notice the marks the mugs left on the glass table in the living room- Liam wouldn’t say anything, but the frown on his face would make Louis feel a tad guilty, if not a lot. They don’t meet at the airport, he doesn’t even expect to be surprised if Liam doesn’t show up at his door, and they’re not together- still.

When he sees Liam the next day, meeting him in Harry’s bakery, he’s even more tanned and his skin is bright in the sun, he looks good and his hair has grown a bit, not much because he guesses Liam cut it again. Louis wonders if he’d be able to pull it while they have sex, Louis wonders if he’s end up scratching the scalp because he can’t pull it. He notices the difference while they sit on one of the table stools and wait for Harry to come by. Evidently, he flings himself on Liam and peppers him with kisses that Liam doesn’t reject anymore; before he used to wipe at them and pout adorably, but now he smiles and kisses him on the forehead grinning like a kid that just received a wonderful present. Harry sits on his lap and plays with his scruff and Louis would like to get upset, because he can’t do that still, he doesn’t want to give himself away like that. He’d end up kissing Liam square on the mouth and he knows it’d be awkward.

“How was Florida? Oh wait, I know, we texted every day! You look so tanned Liam, where are those surfing pictures?” Harry asks pinching Liam’s cheeks and Liam blushes looking at Louis inquisitive for a second before he can answer Harry, playing with his long fingers along Harry’s forearm.

“It’s been good Harry, I missed all of you and your luscious hair too,” he goes to touch it and Harry tries not to purr but closes his eyes at Liam scratching his scalp

“Don’t tell Zayn but I have a flower crown all for you” Harry squirms excitedly and Liam winks at Louis and Louis laughs because Liam can’t wink for shit but he looks so adorable Louis leaves the teasing aside.

“I’ll have you know we had lots of fun! We got massively drunk and my birthday was indeed the highlight of the whole year!” Louis teases and crosses his arms on his chest

“Louis, I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you I swear I will” Liam tries and Louis knows Liam will make it his mission to make it up to him and Louis is ready- ever ready. He looks happy and healthy; it’s nice seeing him like this.

“I’ll be busier till the shop opens again, but I’ll make sure, yeah?” Liam holds out his hand and Louis grins happily making him pinkie-promise it. Liam still tells him that is a bit silly, but the warmth of Liam’s fingers flows on Louis’s skin and he thinks he sees passion in the forms of blotched-red Azaleas.

Louis nods happily while Harry returns to nuzzling at Liam’s neck until Zayn and Niall barge in the already filled bakery and charge onto Liam rubbing his head, kissing it enthusiastically. Louis reasons, it’s nice having them like this; it’s nice having friends that don’t run away. He’s been left too many times for too many people and the worrying feeling of that happening again settles into him when he looks at Liam, his heart aches and soars with fright and love, like the daunting colour of Hellebores and the daunting spines that sharpen the stem of a dark rose.

Liam would always offer to bring him dinner and they sit on the couch munching through it until Harry would come back from work and offer Liam some pastries dangling them in front of him

“Harry! Are you sure you don’t want me to get sick?” Liam would question quirking his eyebrow and Harry would laugh and tell him about how he still looked healthy. Louis will always love how Harry will pick up a scone from the chest he brings in from the bakery, walk up to Liam and sit on his lap waving the pastry under his red-tipped nose 'til Liam will bite at it. It’s funny and endearing the way Liam got in their circle this quickly. Louis wonders if Liam will fall in love with him one day.

Evidently, that goes to shit when Sophia appears.

“Liam always talks about you!” she chirps shaking his hand, her fingers are so smooth against his skin and Louis smiles, at least Liam talks about him. They stay like this sitting together and giggling like mad, before Liam hugs him tight and says they’ll see each other soon, like a promise. Harry looks at him for a while after they get out, he mouths, “Don’t cry” and Louis cries. Louis cries and cries till his eyes get swollen and itchy; Liam’s not there to tell him ‘Don’t rub your eyes’ and he stops giving a fuck, he rubs at them till Niall brings him home and with Zayn they sleep there on his bed that smell of Liam’s skin and body wash.

He confines himself in the four corners of his flat after that day, he drinks and sighs, he forgets to water the flowers at his place by the window until Zayn comes in, scoops him up from the floor(doesn’t actually work because Zayn may be strong but not enough) and shouts

“You reek! Your flowers are dying”

He manages to shower between mixed feelings of outrage and sorrow, tears that pour down his eyes blend with the jets of the shower against his skin. Zayn meets him with a cup of tea and scolds him because he didn’t answer to anybody’s phone messages and he didn’t answer the door when Liam was constantly knocking on it. And Louis is angry. It should have been him. It fucking-

 “I’m going to Liam”

“Don’t fuck it up” Zayn counters when he sits on the kitchen table, holding a water bottle in his hands

“He’s the one fucking with me!”

“He doesn’t know he’s doing that”

Louis huffs, wears his jumper- Liam’s jumper, and huffs again. He drinks his tea in silence, Zayn sitting with him while they watch Toy Story together, and that should be a Liam/Louis thing.

Zayn falls asleep and Louis lets him, he notices the bags under his eyes and he wishes Niall was sitting by him, Zayn looks so rested when Niall is around. Louis feels rested when Liam is next to him. The feeling that breaks in his heart is unsettling, it's as if the thought of Liam plays strings that his heart can't bear and he feels scared too. He picks up his phone, noticing at least ten missed calls, double the number of messages and a couple of voicemails from Liam, he wishes he could not feel a thing while listening to the last one

Hey Lou, it's still me- if I did anything wrong, I swear I'll try to make it up to you. I- I don't know what I did, but if there's a way- I'm sorry, hey Louis, I'm sorry okay? I'm behind your door, I’m knocking, please open the door, and let me in. I swear I'll try and do better...

He presses the dial on his contact and his heart hammers in his chest, every ring echo in his body-

"Louis! God- Hi, are you okay?" Liam's loud voice intercepts through the line and Louis shouldn't feel this relieved, but he is, he's still- he doesn't know what he is.

“I’ll be there in a sec”

“No! No, I- it’s fine. I,I’m sick and Zayn is here with me, I’ll be fine,” he listens to the groan of frustration in Liam’s voice and basks in it, he wishes he could hurt Liam in some way- more than this.

“Lou- Come on”

“I’m your boss; listen to your boss Payno, please”

“Louis, your mum is the boss and if you don’t stop being this unpersuasive I’m coming there if you want it or not” Liam threatens

“I swear I’m not mad at you. Is that you’re a bit blind yeah?”

“Lou-” Louis hangs up the phone with his heart beating wildly in his ears.

“You know he’s going to worry, Lou, bloody hell, he’s going to worry till his head explodes” Zayn startles him and Louis would like to tell him that eavesdropping is not a good thing to do, but he messed up and he knows he shouldn’t blame Liam, he never did anything wrong. He’s in love and it’s not requited, he should understand that.

Maybe he sheds a tear or two while Zayn pets his hair, and the feel it’s all wrong; Zayn’s hands are not as long or thick as Liam’s, Liam scratches his scalp once a while and Louis itches now. Liam always pulls lightly on Louis’s hair once a while and his fingers always wander on the tip his ears and the skin at his nape; it’s all so fucking wrong. He just wants Liam to love him back.

“Why Liam, anyway?” he questions himself looking up at Zayn, he presses his index on his sharp jaw, his beard smoothing under his fingertips and Zayn smiles desperately, shakes his head, his dark eyes peek sadly into his sighing; he says “Because” tenderly and Louis understands.

There was nothing Louis could not love about him when all cautiousness and restraint left Liam’s body. The firmness of Liam’s hands on his middle when would be alarmed of Louis falling off the stairs while arranging the gardenias on the top shelf by the entrance. How Liam smiled and his eyes would crinkle when they’d go eating during break and Louis would invent a backstory for the people at the bar. How Liam lifted him up when he earned his degree cupped his face and smooching him on the forehead, how Liam after countless pleas from Niall, Harry, Zayn and Louis himself slept on the king bed of Harry’s apartment with all of them and snuggled close to Louis wrinkling his shirt for comfort. How Liam looked the next morning sipping through his sugar-loaded cup of tea, all lax and cuddly.

When Zayn leaves, tucking his jumper inside his heavy jacket and fluffing the scarf he nicked from Liam, he gives Louis a look and in his hushed voice says

“Maybe you’re undiscerning too”

Louis ends up searching that word on the internet and when he falls asleep he can still hear the tone of voice in which Zayn said it, blasé to say the least.

He doesn’t sleep well.

 

 

-

When Louis wakes up from his dozing, he feels groggy and the bitterness leaves welcoming a feeling of sadness he’s never known before. It reminds him of the red and yellow of poppies he noticed laid around the body of Ophelia in one of those art galleries Zayn used to bring him to.

He hurries around his flat, jumping and stumbling to shower and dress, remembering to get some pastries that Harry gives him early in the morning. He doesn’t look at himself in the mirror- for a moment he wishes he could cut his hair right there and not regret it. He shoves a beanie on his unruly locks and rushes out the door locking it behind him.

The roads are still clear even though the winds make him flinch and shiver. The sun is still low and clouds heave the sky and Louis mutters a grumbly good day to the branches he stumbles into and starts down the sidewalk.

Running, Louis curses himself for forgetting his scarf on the arm of the chair by the door- Liam always told him he needed a coat rack and he’s glad he’s never bought one for some reason. He greets Harry with a quick hug and he reassures him he’ll phone him during the afternoon; Harry smiles to him, hair coated with a veil of flour and his apron stained with strawberry jam, carrying a tray of bread- baked and fuming- the smell reaching to Louis’s nose before he manages to rush out.

Only when he walks up the way to his store and sees the hunched frame of Liam’s body he remembers he’s still upset, he’s not meant to be but he wants to. In any case, he greets Liam with a slap at his back and smiles encouragingly even though Liam’s brow furrow in confusion and gloom, he opens the door to their shop and Liam starts cleaning quietly, sweeping fallen petals and reorganizing bouquets he started on before the break- before Sophia.

Amusingly enough Louis enjoys looking at Liam returning to his first behavioral stage, stiff and nervous, waiting for Louis to pounce on him. Louis could pounce on him- for sure.

 

“Good morning, how may I help you today?” Liam says automatically before lifting his head

“Morning nan Isabel!” Louis and Liam chirp, Louis holding out his hand in a wave while the old lady ignores him offended

“You never come and drink tea with me, I’m leaving you aside today for this handsome young man I’ll have you know!” she says taking her fluffy scarf off her neck on the coat rack Liam bought himself for the store, reminding him what if costumers come in on a rainy day and get all the floors wet? It’d be more work for us!

“Am I second to Louis?” Liam comebacks feigning a shaken look, holding his hand to his chest

“Oh Liam please, you know you’ll always be my darling boy,” she croons lifting her hands up for him to hold, he motions for a chair but she stops him, beckoning him closer.

“I’d like a bouquet for my Mirabel, she might be giving birth this night. Will you have a nice mass of flower for me?” the woman says, gesturing with her stick, her wrinkled fingers clutching the cane tightly, towards carnations that adorn the windows, the lights revealing their bright colours in the sun around the shop.

“Dear old Uncle George is going to be a father!” Louis teases snorting loudly

“Louis you’re twenty-four yourself, give him a break poor soul,” Isabel says accusingly

Liam offers his arm for her to hold like the gentleman he is and Isabel beams up at him- everybody falls in love with Liam, no matter how much Louis tries not to notice it.

“Surely, we are going to find wonderful flowers for her and the new baby. Walk with me, you may pick up some colours you’d like to have in the bouquets”

Louis looks at Liam walking with Isabel, holding her arm around his about the shop, showing her the samples of bouquets they could have for her.

The next morning they receive a call in for a small and private wedding and Louis is ecstatic, he always wanted to prepare bouquets for weddings, he remembers his mum when he was still a kid while she'd arrange small and intricate corsages with her swift fingers and she'd sing long nursery rhymes.

Liam, immediately after the call and the request for white boutonnieres, gathers gauges floral stem wires, thick dimmed yellow ribbons, and some daturas and annabelle hydrangeas working them up quickly and care under his fingertips, losing himself while singing Angel by Celine Dion. And Louis in that precise moments thinks he would like to hear Liam sing this wonderfully all his life, he joins in humming under his voice and he smiles up to him sometimes ducking his head hurriedly when they meet eyes, the brown and earnest striking Louis straight in the heart. The small bouquets of yellow roses, stardusts and white dahlias come quite easy to arrange during the afternoon.

Liam has most white corsages ready by the second day and somehow Louis feels better and rested.

By February and the coming of Valentine’s day Louis prepares the camellias and dahlias to send to Liam working secretly in the small space reserved in the garden by the autumnal flowers that he waters religiously every day. Somehow, Louis thinks he can still make it, maybe he can add tulips by the end of the month and make Liam understand he’s not upset- not that much, he notices the coughing fits that shake Liam’s body once a while making him stop to drink a bottle of water, but he doesn’t think about it enough.

He works through the vases one by one, disposing the flowers in a spiral of colours from a simple white of iceberg roses to the cavernous dark colour of red cosmos.

When they see each other the day after Valentine’s Day Liam, scratching at his nape, hands Louis a vase of yellow bluebells nicely arranged and says

“You seem to like them a lot so, I just thought-” Louis promises his gift is on the way and Liam blushes happily before leaving to the studio

Louis puts the vase on the cupboard next to his bed and can’t stop grinning at it.

-

 Liam’s still coughing when during break Louis finds him in the garden caring for the seeds of yellow bells Louis commonly keeps for himself. His hair is growing back and curling slightly around his front, his sweatshirt clinging to his front.

“You must take care of that cough, Liam”

“I’m treating it, it’s just a bit of a cold,” he smiles fidgeting with his thick gloves and the scarf at his red nose.

Louis would like to tell him off and make sure he doesn’t die in front of him, but the order is taking most of their time and he feels as if he can truly make it. They joke about and when the store is closed they laugh at the mess they clean; kids still come in during the afternoon after school and buy flowers, then give it back to them, which Louis accepts smiling at the young boy that hands them while Liam kisses the back of the girls’ hands making them blush and swoon dramatically. He wishes he could be a kid for a day and give flowers to Liam until the shop would become empty of them.

“You aren’t cross with me” Liam says, eyes still fixed on the bells and Louis feels a pang of guilt, he knows he shouldn’t have gotten upset.

“I was never-“

“Louis, if you don’t want me here anymore tell me” his eyes travel up Louis body and even though he’s trying to mask his nervousness Louis sees doubt and no-

“No, what. No, I love having you here. I was never upset, I’m- I was just stressed”

“When you are stressed you call me and we talk about it, you didn’t call me, you had Zayn over” he stands up frame towering over Louis almost threatening, but the hunching in his shoulders make him look quite dejected, he didn’t even-

“I’m sorry, I just needed space”

“From me?” Liam pouts surprised

“I- I’m just a bit sad that’s all, it’s stupid”

“It’s not stupid if it made you feel like this” Liam steps forward carefully

And Louis won’t say it, he won’t say it, and he might cry if he says it-

“It’s- when you came back and now there’s Sophia and you spend lots of time with her, you don’t stay with me like we used to and I just feel a bit lonely ‘s all, I know you’re working in the studio and it requires time but-”

He jumps a little when Liam’s fingers travel around his middle pulling him closer and closer till they’re hugging, his hand reaching up the nape of Louis’s neck and Louis is too gone not to resist, not to say You’re unfair, you shouldn’t do this. He just goes with it and he feels warm all over, his skin itching with a new kind of warmth, clear and thundering. He rests his head on Liam’s chest, nosing up at the thick hoodie, already calming down.

“Feeling better?” and Louis nods smiling, holding Liam’s shirt tightly in his fingers.

They start all over again, like this.

-

They hold the corsages in the fridges and they work through the bouquets till the day before the wedding is due and Louis feels resolutely better; they work until their hands throb and skin at their fingertips scrape away leaving a raw and pronouncing feeling of satisfaction.

The morning after their little talk, he wakes up to Liam sleeping on the couch in the living room, a thick blanket covering him up till his nose and his hair flopping down on his face. He crouches in front of him, examining the bags under his eyes and the emptiness in his face, his lips chapped, and fluttery breaths leaving his open mouth. And if there’s one thing Louis hates more now it’s how he wants Liam to hug him always, he wants his hands on his neck and waist holding him close, his skin prickles with neediness.

He checks the time and he tries a gentle hand through Liam’s hair to wake him up, strangely, no matter how tough and handsome Liam looks, when he sleeps he returns to a seeming kid, cheeks flushed and those pronounced curls swirling on his forehead.

He doesn’t think he’s never smiled this wide when Liam eyes flutter open and says “Good morning Lou” carding his fingers through Louis’s hair “I had one of them bad dreams” he continues yawning and stretching under the blankets

“I promise I’m not angry with you, pinky promise” he holds his pinky out waiting for Liam to hold out his, he laughs and promises with him, and takes the covers off.

They brush their teeth slowly, making faces at their mirror and Louis thinks this is enough somehow; he can go on with Liam like this. They walk to have breakfast in Harry’s bakery and when the bell rings bringing them in Harry cheers haphazardly almost throwing the tray of hot puddings in double boilers all over the floor.

“I talked to you about that life insurance!” Louis helps him out while Liam takes the tray out of his hands and slides it carefully inside the fridges back in the kitchen. Harry pinches at Louis skin giddy with excitement

“I’m glad you’ve recovered Lou”

“Yeah”

By the time they’re done with the bouquets the deliverer is already in, and they help him pack up the flowers without ruining them. The groom greets them at the reception nervous and jittery when Liam gives him a solid handshake and wishes him a good day in his earnest voice, his features turning soft and sincere while they wave the man goodbye while he rushes to get ready.

The chapel they are up to decorate is fairly small for intimate weddings, but classy in its elegant crystal theme. The seats are already prepared and Liam proceeds to decorate the apsidal areas of the chapel in white dahlias and the centre in white roses. Personnel supplies Liam with flowers to dispose while Louis downs petals of white and yellow carnations inside a tall and robust glass vases that adorn the entrance to the chapel, he then sprinkles petals of white roses on the white tiles in the transept area and around the altar where the bride and the groom would stand in front of the priest. He places white bouquets on the left side of the altar and yellow ones on the other, the early lights of the sun filtering through the glass windows create a stream of light colours that go in harmony with the flowers providing a clean and simple but conventional image to the interiors of the church.

The outdoor reception next to the chapel is objectively spacious, tables and chairs strung in golden kinran bows are already set with their silverware, earth coloured handkerchiefs and each table with two eclectic wooden lanterns containing candles in them. Louis and Liam decorate centerpieces in pastel colour flowers under the light tents of an enormous gazebo, in the middle sits a crystal-decorated table where Louis supposes the spouses will take a seat in.

“We’re good!” Liam pats him on the back when they give last touches to the area and gather their things, there’s a worrying flush on Liam’s face and Louis touches it lightly but doesn’t dwell in the scalding feeling that stays on his fingertips. They are thanked and served with trays of food as an act of appreciation.

On the way back, Louis wishes that was their wedding.


	2. Chapter 2

The next two mornings they run through the shop for the embellishments they started working on before, they clean and set spring flowers to the front of the store, working their way up from pansies and hellebores to snowdrop anemones. Liam has gotten even busier since the single track Sophia will be reviewed by the producer Liam worked with and he spends most nights in the studio. He still texts Louis while he’s there even if Louis doesn’t ask him to.

It’s still nice listening to the snippets of songs Liam’s sends him and it’s even nicer when Liam’s cloying voice leaks through the mixes and harmonies. When they’re together during the afternoon he still hears Liam coughing and even though he’s always telling him to take care of it, Liam doesn’t seem to give much thought to his complaint.

“It’ll be nice if we planted a couple of Achilleas and Coreopsis for the summer, those are really good flowers,” Louis says from the garden waiting for Liam to answer at the far end of it. He can’t hear anything so he returns to the yellow bells, patting the dirt around the stems inside the ceramic decorated by one of the little ones who commonly play around during the afternoon.

“Do you reckon we could plant some of those?” he asks again raising his voice so that Liam can hear but he still gets no answer

He huffs standing up and he knows Liam can be pretty forgetful so probably he locked himself in the fridge again, like months ago, that was a good one.

As soon as he opens the door Liam is on the floor, breath coming short and shallow and Louis loses it, he was never good at keeping calm when things like this would happen, his sister would fall from the stairs and Louis would think her leg was going to be amputated, he’s no good like this. His heart races as he calls for Liam to wake up, he bats at his cheeks lightly and shakes him, and he ends freaking out even more as Liam’s sluggish body doesn’t respond, and his eyes don’t open.

“Liam, come on Liam, what the fuck” Louis continues as he fumbles for his phone and speed dials Zayn, because Zayn is calm and Zayn will know what to do, he breathes deeply waiting for the beeps for the call to go through and-

“Lou! I’m busy!” Zayn’s voice cuts through, bored and sleepy

“No you’re not- Liam, Liam is on the floor and he’s fainted and I’m freaking out, I don’t know what to do and he’s cold too, he’s frigid Zayn, what if he’s about to die, I can’t hold him up, where do I go? God, what if…” Louis rambles as he catches the loud shuffling noise on the line and he doesn’t know if the thump he hears is from his heart or Liam’s as his head lays on Liam’s chest to check on the faint heartbeats he picks up rumbling inside his ears.

“Okay Lou, calm down, now do me a favour, I’m dressing up and I’m going to call Niall. In the meantime, check his pulse and his forehead if he has a fever and drag him outside the cabin, he’ll be alright, I’m coming” Zayn cuts in again

“How do you even check a pulse?” he barks exasperated

“Louis, you fucking know how to check a pulse, I’m on the way”

The line cuts off and Louis is left with a lethargic Liam in front of him. He doesn’t know if that’s his fault, it must have been, he had to convince Liam his cough was serious, he had to drag him to bed and make him recover instead of worrying for their order, he had to check on him instead of just wondering when his miserable cough would go away. He had to be there for him and he wasn’t, reason being Sophia.

He curses himself as he checks his pulse, beat consistent and he begins to drag Liam out the fridge shivering himself. As he exits out of the fridge he meets a wild looking Niall, splashes of pink on his pale cheeks; he helps him carrying Liam over the car and while he sets him lounged on the back seat he wonders how Liam can be so light while looking this strong and firm.

“Hey Lou, don’t worry, he’ll be fine, he’s hot, so I think he might have a fever but… Calm down, okay?”

“I know it’s just- It’s Liam yeah? I should have known, I should have fucking know, I was here with him and I didn’t pay attention cause I’m such a selfish git when it comes to him- Fuck”

Louis paces to put his seatbelt on and Niall sets to spark the engine, the latter glances back at Liam and sighs knowingly

“Guess if you know you’re a git…”

That startles a laugh out of Louis and they start on the constricted road to the emergency hospital. Louis doesn’t talk, he can’t think of anything and Liam’s breath is the only thing reassuring him of Liam being there- with them, in the car.

“Come on,” Niall jolts him out of his thoughts and Louis blinks at him, noticing they stopped in front of the emergency area and are greeted by ER staff. He bounds with them inside until they stop him, telling him that he will be checked and put in room 202 in ICU. The last thing he sees is Liam’s hand out of the cart in which he was carried over the threshold.

-

He stays in while he waits for news about Liam, he’s never been in the hospital for so long apart from when his mother gave birth to the twins; in the midsts of all the voices and people surrounding him he wishes this could have been a happy moment. He doesn’t remember how he managed to let Liam’s sickness slip away from his thought- he wasn’t upset, he was a little bit dejected. He had control over his emotions, mostly everyday and he could have taken care of him, he could have done something. Niall stays beside him while he walks up and down the aisle in a ten-meter length outside the doors of the ICU gnawing on his nails, he can hear him talking to Harry quietly shaking his head from time to time.

“He’s coming by” Niall pats him on the back before searching for a restroom. While Niall is out Zayn and Harry call down the hallway for his name and run towards him tackling his body in a hug so tight Louis feels himself shaken by it, he knows Liam’s hug are just like this.

“How’s it going?” Zayn asks, catching a breath. He looks so worried and tired, clutching tightly at his shirt

“I don’t know, hopefully is just a fever and cough he didn’t take care of” Louis mumbles on Harry’s chest, he smells of bread and sweets

“You ran from the bakery” he states, sniffing at his shirt

“Yeah, kind of left in a rush, Marilyn will have my head if I don’t come back before the time the bakery closes” Harry giggles ruffling his hair “He’ll be fine” he says smiling

 

“You must be Louis, yes?” Louis frowns at the sight of the long white coat creased in the back and in the center, he cringes remembering Liam hates folds and furrows on clothing and this coat has many, Louis hates wrinkles too now. Harry slings and arm on his shoulders, smiling brightly

“Yes, is he okay?”

“Liam’s good. It was mostly a congestion he had from days ago and as your friend here said he was stuck in the fridges were he worked in, for a pretty long time too ergo his body temperature dropped dangerously for a few minutes. He’s sleeping as of now, but I would recommend for him to get proper rest, his body is strained. He’ll be good as new, promise” the man smiles, his eyes crinkling at the sides, the beard is mostly white and Louis thinks that would look good on Liam too when they’d get married and grow old together watching their kids run through the grass.

“Thank you, can we see him now?” Zayn asks eagerly

“202 doors on the left. Have a good day”

When he opens the doors to Liam’s room the light blue tents are closed, engulfing the room in a halo of darkness, he spots a vase of lilacs poorly taken care of and goes to water them and open’s them. Liam doesn’t like dark rooms so much, he can’t believe he does things based on what Liam likes or doesn’t, it baffles him.

“Louis, calm the fuck down” Zayn hisses silently behind him

“He doesn’t like when tents are closed, they have to be partially open and did you see the lilacs?” Louis counters back at Zayn that is seated on the bed and caressing Liam’s hair.

“Okay, now, would you come and sit and stop going on and about the room?”

Louis huffs and slumps on the bed while Harry and Niall sit on the chair by Liam’s bed. He won’t call Karen, Karen would cry and it’d be horrible, Louis doesn’t do well when Karen cries. There’s a bit of colour returning to Liam’s face, his hands are still cold and his forehead is pretty hot considering the fever, but he’s breathing better than when Louis found him in the fridges; as soon as he’s out he’ll change the lock of them- he can swear by it. Harry’s fallen asleep on Niall’s shoulder, the latter holding him for a while until his phone beeps, snoring lightly, Louis bets he’s feeling awfully tired.

“I know I shouldn’t say this, but it’s your fault” Zayn mumbles “That night he came and knock at your door for like 15 minutes and left you a voicemail, yeah, it was raining that’s when he caught the cold and the cough and all that nasty shit and maybe you didn’t even care cause _I_ _’_ _m Louis and I can be upset with Liam for something he didn_ _’_ _t do_ , he caught it and then I told him to leave you for a while but you know Liam, he wanted to make sure you were not cross with him and instead of taking care of himself when he needed the most, there he was trying to please you and still coming to work. I told him not to, but he always looks up to you, you are both bloody idiots”

 

 

He doesn’t go to visit Liam anymore after that, Zayn calls him, obviously Zayn calls him and he curses at him. He doesn’t see Zayn or he avoids him more or less, he goes to visit his mum quickly and his mum sends him back telling him that she didn’t raise a coward for a son. He stays in the shop and he sleeps there while his phone beeps of messages and missed calls from Liam he can’t return.

When Liam is out of the hospital Louis gets a call from Harry with simple words like "Make it better, you don't want Liam sad" so in a rush to pick him up and he bangs his head on the steer because how can he be this incongruent with his actions? Liam is visibly upset, the eyebrows furrow and a slight pout heavies his mouth, but he looks so tired Louis put everything aside for a moment.

“I know Li, can we talk, when we get home?”

“That’s not my home” Liam stands by his car and Louis has to drag him inside wishing he could workout because Liam is unmovable when he’s stubborn.

“You’re still going to come home with me, I can’t leave you at your place”

“You didn’t come and visit me anyway, shouldn’t make a difference innit?” Liam huffs putting on his belt anyway and turns to the window, wrinkles drawing his forehead and Louis would like to kiss that pout away, instead he holds the steer tighter till his knuckles turn white

“I’ll take care of you, it’s my fault you fell ill”

Liam settles then, relaxing his shoulders and quirking his lips a little.

At home Liam is exasperating, he complains and sniffs and coughs and what baffles Louis is that Liam will still say he’s fine and he can work which he can’t, Louis would never let him and he says so stomping his foot during lunch on the first day after his dismissal when Liam insists on washing the dishes.

“Let me wash the dishes at least” he huffs loudly widening his eyes, he looks so fucking tired and he doesn’t get it.

When he manages to convince Liam and he’s left alone with the dishes, Louis breaks two plates and a glass, and he can’t understand why he didn’t put all of the tableware in the dishwasher. When he starts the machine and the flat fills with the steady rumble of it, Louis finds Liam asleep under the blankets, and there he places a vase of peonies, yellow chrysanthemums and red tulips on the cupboard near Liam’s bed, he hopes Liam will understand the pattern.

He goes to work and tends the shop by himself realizing how arduous it is to clean without hearing Liam singing and humming while tending the flowers in the vases, the shops looks so big and empty when Louis doesn’t see Liam walking about in it. Louis cleans and keeps Liam’s space neat as he sleeps. Some afternoons when Liam’s bundles the sheets around his body and he looks so comforted and rested Louis likes to touch his face and smoother his pained expression in moments, he likes the shadow that Liam’s eyelashes cast on his rosy cheeks and he straightens his eyebrows because that’s all he can do, not more.

-

“Louis, sleep with me yeah? I’m cold” Liam pouts in the morning when Louis brings him breakfast before going to work.

He’s not relatively late since the shop opens an hour after nine, he’s the only one working there, but spring is blooming everywhere and with the advent of Easter and Women’s day is approaching.

“You’re a pest, Liam” he huffs after Liam’s third throaty request, his eyes are still teary and he shivers sometimes even though Louis set the temperature so that Liam wouldn’t get cold. He’s been trying to get off Liam’s sight while he asks him to stay beside him when he sleeps but Louis can’t do that- there’s many reasons why he can’t do that.

“Stay Louis, please?”

“You always do this” He says rather miserably and ruffles Liam’s hair slowly desisting on not pulling it “You’re unfair, you don’t see it and we are boyfriends, everybody says it, if my sister Charlotte says it! I am not Sophia but I’m good too, I have only you- I, I-, it’s just, I love you okay? A lot and it hurts”

“Sophia is not my girlfriend”

“Sophia is your girlfriend! You’re always around with her and you kiss her on the head like you do to me, and she smiles at you like she loves you, I know she does who wouldn’t, stop lying to me Liam, I’m- I’m your boss; you shouldn’t lie to your boss” he squeaks angry and impatient

“But she’s not- she’s just- listen. She’s the new singer I was always talking on and about on the phone- oof, she’s the girl I was working the song with, the _haunting dreams and chasing cars in search of you_ ,” he singsongs coughing through fits, balling up the sheets in his hands.

His nose red and his eyes swollen, Louis touches his cheeks, the pink splattered like paint on canvas that design his face, Louis wants to hit him and kiss him, the latter mostly.

"… Sophia Smith?" he chances remembering Liam’s voice when explaining about the resemblance of her voice to the smooth colour of a zinnia

"Yes!"

"What?"

"It's her! I told you Lou- hey, don't go, Louis!" Liam throws a pillow at Louis’s back

"I'm just getting some more water for you!" Louis doesn't get water for him because as soon as he steps out the room to fetch him some he comes back poking his head in the door and he whispers, "So you're not together?"

"No! I'm not- I don't like her" Louis rushes to get the pillow he was hit with from the floor and another of the mass that is besides Liam's bed and hits him with them

"Louis, what the-!"

"You bloody fucker!" Louis hits him while Liam tries to protect himself, arms flailing in the air and he wishes the pillow would break comically and a mass of fake feathers would fall around them that Liam would probably have to pick later.

"I thought you were together, ready to marry even!"

"Louis I'm sick!"

He wishes he wouldn't feel so relieved about the whole damn thing, Louis starts laughing while Liam coughs and sneezes on the sheets. Louis would find that disgusting, somehow the softness of Liam's cheeks and the light duvets doesn't make it look as that.

"I hate you and I'm taking back everything I said, why didn’t you tell me?"

"You can't take it back you wanker! It doesn't work that way and anyways, it's unfair, I love you too!"

"What?"

"Louis! I'm serious! Stop bloody hitting me you twat!"

Fuck. He sent the flowers already, his plan just went to shit, and he can't even get a refund.

"You ruined my plan you goof! I wanted to send you flowers!"

"You can still send me flowers! And anyways the Camellias and the red tulips are in already!" He sniffs pointing at the tulips beside him, he lays on the bed again and Louis rushes to his side, sitting on the bed, leaving the last two pillows falling beside the bedstead and thumps his head on Liam’s chest unable to breathe; his plan is ruined, but it still worked somehow, it worked. Holy shit.

Liam’s fingers are gently carding through his hair as he raises his head and looks at him and he’s missed this- he’s missed Liam and he’s still so in love…

“You’re not pranking me are you?”

“Did I ever prank you? Would I prank you on this?” Liam retorts weakly, kissing his head, Louis could cry from how nice it feels he could grow flowers on his head from Liam’s kiss only

“I think I’m growing purple lilacs in my belly,” Louis tells to Liam’s chest, his fingers playing idly with the light jumper he’s wearing, he chuckles a little interrupted by sharp intakes of breath

“At least they’re not roses, you’d be having holes in your stomach wouldn’t you?”

Louis laughs and forgets about Liam being sick.

 

 

 

-

Louis reasons the thing about Liam knowing and reciprocating his feelings doesn’t work the way he wanted. Louis continues sending flowers and Liam looks fairly happy by the week, which Louis understands- they are in love, for God’s sake. He still doesn’t come out with them to drink, excuse being _I really have to work on this song, Lou_ and Louis understands, but he doesn’t, really.

It’s about the no kisses on the mouth, no sticking tongues in each other’s throats, no fucking in the garden and basically every available surface that stresses Louis. He wants to feel the hot presses of skin against skin, Liam’s pants against his neck, Liam’s thick and long fingers inside him working him open so slowly Louis writhes at the thought, he wants to feel hot and desperate.

He doesn’t mean to pout and fuss, Liam is being extra gentle; he comes in the morning with a cup of coffee and some pastries and a kiss on the forehead when Louis is too hangover to grumble and be snarky. He makes sure nothing misses and even if he spends most nights in the studio working with that damned Sophia, he shows up the next morning smiling and being overall perfect.

Liam is not actually touching him- which is the fucking problem here. Louis has a long list of things he wants to do with Liam, and an extensive other list of things he wants Liam to do to him and it’s not going to fucking happen if he’s being this nice about the whole ordeal. The other odd thing is Liam’s buying white vases and what is he doing with those vases anyway?

They assist clients together and Liam seems giddier by the day and Louis is set to send the red roses by next week and he hasn’t got even a kiss yet. He wishes he could roll his eyes when Liam shows up all the mornings, when Louis sent flowers the previous day; he smiled wonderfully giving him one single stem of it back. It’s all silent, the countering action that Liam has, it’s fine.

Louis wants to be fucking touched in any way possible- that is.

“He’s not touching me Zayn” he means he’s not fucking me hard enough to break a mattress, but he knows that’s understated.

He means If he doesn’t fucking touch me I’m going to set myself on fire but that sound pretty suicidal so he avoids saying it. He looks at Zayn and his hair reaching down floppily on his eyes, soft locks of dark hair shaping along his face and the beard silky-looking. “Louis, I would like to tell how much I hate you for waking me up this early first of all, it’s just eight in the morning and you didn’t even buy me a coffee, that’s how much I love you, other than that, how did you even get together? Weren’t you going to send flowers?” he rubs at his eyes, his _Tekken!_ pants riding up his ankles

“I know! It’s just- the plan went to shit, but good shit? You know when he was poorly?”

“When you acted like a proper jackass yes, I reckon I wanted to hit you in the balls during those days…” Zayn corrects him taking a pillow that presses between his hands; Louis creeps backwards on the couch- just in case. Zayn is excessively protective of Liam much to Louis’s disadvantage and he’s already risked a black eye during those days.

”Yeah, I’m sorry for that- I’m really sorry, but returning to what I was saying… I kind of ruined that plan during those days…”

“Nah mate, you’re a jackass for that and many other things” Zayntitters carding his fingers through his hair “Liam was asking for you all along you fucking asshole,” he says.

The pillow looks creased, and even though Louis agrees minutely with what Zayn just said, Louis has Harry on speed dial he recalls, he takes out his phone and unlocks it.

“I’m sorry, I acted like a twat,” Louis admits regretful

“Did you say sorry?” he asks, eyeing him steadily, creases forming on his forehead

“Itdidn’t come up” Louis admits again holding his hands up

“God, one day somebody’s going to pop in your mouth… I bet- I know that’ll be me. What did he say?” Zayn looks wide awake now, clutching the couch pillow in his arms and calling out for a sleepy Niall that padding in fours comes out of the bedroom to Louis’s revelation

“You know, if you are in some kinky shit tell me, he’s butt-naked Zayn, walking in all fours”

“I drank too much yesterday… can’t walk” Niall groans padding on the light carpet with his junkies dangling all around and Louis thinks he’s never going to sit on that carpet. He’s not even going to look at that rug; he’ll bring his own blanket.

“He said he loves me too? And that’s great right?” Niall nods, putting on himself a blanket Zayn lays in front of him.

“Reckon so” Niall considers covering himself from head to toe and Zayn ruffles his hair fondly before returning to him with a bored and more than annoyed look

“But he’s not touching me! We didn’t even kiss? How does Liam do that?”

“I bet this is your punishment, you little shit” Zayn grumbles

“Oh come on Zayn, he did a lot of sickening pining… Though I have to admit that crap you pulled on him when he was feeling poorly… karma is biting you in the ass” I’d like to be bitten on the ass by Liam Louis considers but he shakes that thought away, he needs to be fucked- with love, obviously, but hard enough to make him lose senses.

“Come on, didn’t you have that stage?”

“Nope” they answer in unison

“-Went straight for the loos in the club, took Zayn’s pants down, which was really fucking erotic if-”

He shouts thanks for not fucking helping me before rushing out of their door, he doesn’t want to hear no sex story if he’s not the one involved.

-

Louis talks to the deliverer about sending a vase of anemones when Harry comes in one afternoon, Marilyn’s been lenient these days, maybe I will have some time off next week he excuses and then whistles at the vase asking Louis what those flowers signify.

“Anticipation” Louis explains giving the deliverer some bills and wishing him a good trip waving him goodbye

“There’s no one else more ridiculous than you, that I can say” he jokes and Louis threatens to wake him up with a bucket of cold water when he’ll stay over one of these days. Harry tells him Liam is waiting till August when Sophia’s work is done in the two upcoming weeks to let himself go and work on other projects with other artists, Louis firmly hopes other projects mean I’m gonna get on with Louis, but he won’t swear by it. As much as Liam is predictable, he is not, he shudders at the thought.

“…And maybe then, you will have the chance to think about properly having sex with him” Harry supposes in front a vase of lilies Louis is arranging “By properly I mean I hope you won’t be coming to work for a couple of weeks” he winks all-knowing

“How do you even know?”

“Because my dear lovely Louis, there will be a party when Sophia’s track will be released and that’s next week!”

Harry is currently chopping unused stems from bouquets already arranged and Louis would like to smack him; Liam certainly would, because he hates it when the floors are not clear of every petal, but Liam’s not there. He’s been working with Niall since days on some track they came up with three nights ago with lines such as your love puts me together and planting roses in a field of spines- Louis thinks those are great lines but Liam insisted on working them some more with a syncopated beat created from a beat maker and Niall’s guitar picking patterns.

They stayed with those all night and came out of Harry’s room at four in the morning, bleary eyed and excited to no limits. When Louis looked into Liam’s tired eyes and the fullness of his cheeks he thought about kisses and cuddles and slow fucking. Liam did kiss him, but on the forehead, gentle and unnervingly lovely- Louis wanted to burn everything. Consequently to his homicidal thoughts Harry snorted and Zayn almost fell from the couch with his continuous snickering, a that’s what you get thrown casually before Liam was able to get inside the kitchen

“Want some juice Niall?”

“Yeah thanks mate, reckon ribbons of blue love doesn’t work with green of scalding jealousy though”

And they had their discussion until fucking six in the morning before snoring like pigs on the carpet. If Louis weren’t to be so fond of Liam he would have certainly whacked him in the balls.

He returns his attention back to Harry and the scissors he’s dangerously holding in his hands, cringing slightly at the way he’s handling them. He’s no Liam so he won’t take them away from him and tell You silly, it’s dangerous, take the ones with the rounded head.

“Harry not only you’re making a mess out of yourself, but I really think you’re going to cut your hands off”

“It will not be that bad blowing Nick with my mouth only” Harry considers, stepping off the stool to grab a broom and a dustpan much to Louis’s relief- he really didn’t want to be the one cleaning.

“You’re so irresponsible Harry”

“That’s why I have Liam and everybody else” he says as if it's an obvious piece of information

“Liam?”

“Yes Liam, who else?”

“Grimshaw? Your boyfriend?”

“Oh Lou, Liam’s basically my boyfriend too, he’s everybody’s boyfriend”

Louis doesn’t know if being Liam’s boyfriend is a good thing or not- Harry is good at sharing though.

-

He waits for a week, but the thrumming in his veins is making him go mad. He goes out and drinks a lot and the hangover doesn’t go away, Harry usually comes with him, other times it’s Niall and Zayn together; he doesn’t like it when they come with him for some envious reason he wishes Liam was there so they could fuck each other’s throats too.  He’s never wanted anybody so bad and while Liam plucks the withered petals off petunias, he wishes he’d been into music as much as Liam is, they could have worked together, and they could have gone at it in the studio, fuck’s sake.

“How are the last touches to the single going?”

“Oh, the song is done already, we are trying her voice if she ever gets the chance to sing it live, it’s not poppy so hopefully her vocals will come through” Liam informs him, eyes still trained on the flowers “Reckon you’d come to the party” he adds in his hopeful tone, smiling up at Louis.

He cut his hair again, Louis tried to stop him, but Liam talked about this whole no cutting-my-hair till the song is done so… he still looks good, God’s sake, he looks amazing. His beard is still grown and while Harry teases him about it, Liam just huffs a laugh retorting Yeah, you’d like a beard yourself Harry, will get there lil boy. Harry huffs then, and Liam says a little prayer for his still not-growing beard, Grimshaw likes him like that, so Harry shouldn’t complain much.

“Obviously I’ll come, you need a date,” Liam splutters on the water bottle he was drinking while Louis smirks at the tint of pink flushing on Liam’s cheeks

“Yeah, the party will be at Mike’s place, his flat is sick, there will be lots of people”

“More of an occasion to flaunt your boyfriend, yeah? It’ll be fun”

“Louis!” he gasps “Stop it!”

“I know! It’s on Saturday, right? Gotta bring me flowers!”

“I will, what kind of gentleman doesn’t bring flowers to his boyfriend on an unofficial date?”

“Exactly!” Louis laughs and beckons Liam closer heart beating frantically at the word boyfriend coming out of Liam’s mouth; he watches him as takes off his gloves and rubs his face embarrassedly trying to alleviate the flush in his cheeks.

Liam goes to lock the doors of the store, lifting a turning the closed sign on the door, he takes off his apron and put it at the back of the counter. Louis’s heart leaps as Liam hauls him up to sit on the counter and he’s only a few centimeters away from Louis’s lips, which are itching for a kiss, just a peck…

 “Do you think you’ll drink just a bit?”

“Wanna be sober enough, got to take care of you,” Liam murmurs by the shell of Louis’s ear,

“You’re a tease” Louis reprimands him and Liam shrugs innocently and snickers biting Louis’s neck lightly, teeth grazing on Louis’s skin slowly.

“We’re done for today right? I want to go home” his hands squeeze around Louis’s waist before letting go and suddenly Louis feels crowded and Liam is kissing him, at least that’s what Louis is experiencing, he’s tried pinching his forearms and feeling Liam’s strong biceps so there’s a chance he’s actually kissing Liam back as eagerly; Liam’s lips soft and eager against Liam’s own, the plump and hot of his mouth and the swipes at his tongue making Louis’s head fly in a dizzying rollercoaster.

“Ready?” he says pressing his forehead against Louis, waiting for him to breathe again

“How long did you want to take before kissing me?” Louis pecks Liam’s lips quickly and Liam smiles wickedly for a moment, his hands returning to his thighs and gripping slightly around the flesh

“I received the white hyacinths yesterday, seemed appropriate”

“You’re a right twat, Liam” Liam laughs whispering just following your plan Lou

“I can’t believe you’re using my plan against me!” he pinches at his nipples in counter attack and Liam just fucking laughs as if it’s the funniest thing.

Liam will frustrate him to no end one day.

 

 

 -

The morning of the party Louis offers a bouquet of red roses when Liam comes in, he didn’t sleep much, he was confused, didn’t really know what to do after he knew that the anemones were in. Liam kisses him there with the door kept open against his shoulders. Liam kisses him for so long Louis’s legs threaten to detach from his body and Louis feels that all this waiting and fussing was good for him, Liam makes him appreciate the wait.

“’S gonna be a good day” Liam winks lifting Louis and carrying him inside. Louis ends up not doing anything, wedged on the stool behind the counter while his legs still stuck and not ready to recover, leave him immobile. His voice works fine so he answers to calls and sets orders in for the next week; he manages to water the plants while Liam scoots beside him, body heat making Louis dizzy.

He’s not going to survive this day. Liam feels like an assault to his senses, he’s everywhere, he caves in the crevices of his mind and doesn’t leave and Louis doesn’t even want him to.

“Think I should cut my hair again yeah? Kinda done with her record”

“Not much, I like it long like this” he says while they have lunch.

Liam managed to order for both of them without Louis noticing, they eat in the garden, the sun shining brightly on Liam’s skin.

“Bet you want to pull on the curls” Liam murmurs naughtily and Louis chokes on the piece of chicken teriyaki he was trying to swallow.

Louis laughs “Give me this at least!”

“Uh uh” he hums offering Louis his drink

Zayn and Niall come in during the afternoon when Liam gets a text that the single of Sophia is out and it’s getting good reviews by critics.

“Fucking finally!” Niall says kissing Liam on the forehead and Liam laughs ruffling his blonde hair

“I know, I’m so done with that for now, still gotta join in for the one we were working on” Liam hugs Niall back as eagerly when the other boy goes for a traps him in his arms.

“Do you think Liam needs a haircut?” Louis asks Zayn as soon as they’re out the closed store and heading to the bakery.

“You dirty bastard, you’ve been talking about how much you wanted to pull his hair”

Louis laughs nodding and looks up front where Niall and Liam are walking in front of them. They wanted to pick Harry up, chatting loudly about music and the people that are going to be at the party we have good connection for now but it wouldn’t hurt to expand them, you’re always a good one to work with, Niall assures Liam as they open the door to Harry’s bakery to find him cleaning up.

“Come on, we’ll meet there yeah?” Liam says to Harry, Niall and Zayn when they stop by Louis’s flat “I’ll be here by eight” he winks up at Louis and Harry snorts at Louis right in the face

“Okay, see you at eight!” he kisses him quickly by the entrance and then he’s gone.

“Harry I swear I will slaughter you!”

“You’re so funny- ow! - It’s true! Isn’t it Niall?” Niall nods taking with him a chuckling Zayn

“Be quick and don’t have sex in my shower!”

“We already did!” the scream in unison

“Naughty!” Harry laughs

-

When Liam comes through the door he’s wearing a suit and Louis should have expected that, Niall had a suit too it seemed only plausible, except he totally didn’t cause no wonder Liam was going to dress up well and he would have been stunned by it. He still trimmed his hair a little bit more, he’s wearing a tie and Louis only thinking about which ways he could take that off, he’s probably thinking too much even as his eyes scan his tall and strong frame by the open door.

“Louis you’re fucking drooling, have some decency for God’s sake” Zayn mutters behind him with a simple but classy attire, his black hair styled back.

“Fuck off Zayn” Louis retorts, he turns back to Liam whose coming forth with a bouquet of flowers and he’s so glad none of them knows meaning of flowers because this is one hell of a bouquet, Liam’s face and overall aspect is not helping in any way too. He still kisses him on the forehead, his wide hand cupping his face lightly.

“You look beautiful,” he whispers by Louis’s neck

“Come on let’s go! Harry, take off that fucking scarf from your head!” Niall shouts taking the keys of Liam’s new car which is parked outside Louis’s flat

“What the fuck?” Niall asks as soon as they reach to it, turning his whole body to Liam who is smiling knowingly

“I told I’d buy it”

“This is a fucking Bentley Continental”

“You knew I wanted to buy it, Niall” Liam laughs, slinging an arm around Louis’s middle ducking down to whisper We could do a lot of things in there too and Louis needs a fucking bottle of vodka, now.

“Can I drive it?” Harry asks jumpy, his coat giving him some kind of serious appearance

“No!” Niall, Zayn and Louis say in unison

“Okay! No need to be so in synch!”

-

Niall and Zayn disappeared twenty minutes into the party setting themselves on a table and mixing concoctions of drinks and cocktails, Harry and Grimshaw being overall socialites from the start of the party as soon as they got around in the midst of people. Liam ends up being separated from him most of the time, but Louis compensates by being near him, watching him and making sure they are beside each other, he’s a bit tipsy, but not entirely. He needs Liam to fuck him and Liam is not helping. Liam’s not fucking helping and Louis’s dick is hard as a rock when he makes his way to the restrooms, heart beating in his throat and he sincerely hopes he’s going to relieve that ache when the door opens and Liam’s there, jacket of the suit off and his fingers undoing the tie knot. Louis is so horny he starts laughing like an idiot before he can even see Liam locking the door closed and walking towards him, feet dragging comically on the pavement all king of the jungle style.

"You know why I didn't ever come to drink with you and the lads?" Liam chuckles when he has Louis successfully cornered against the wall of the restrooms, leg in between his own, rubbing slightly along the zipper of Louis’s jeans reminding him of how hard he is.

Louis should smile and get a bit cocky, but he's so aroused his breath hitches, dick aching in his dark jeans. He feels his face is on fire and he can't stop the little breaths catching up in his throat.

"It'd be so hard for me to resist the urge of holding you up like this," Liam hikes Louis's legs and holds them in his arms, his back hitting the bathroom wall. Louis looks at Liam that is smiling wickedly and licks his lips and Louis moans shamelessly when Liam grinds his hips with Louis's own and their clothed cocks align against each other.

"And do this, " Liam breathes lightly on the shell of Louis's ear, he chuckles some more licking a stripe of Louis's skin from neck to his ear and smiles again. Louis cock is hard, it's so hard it aches and his heart is pounding directly in his ears, ringing so loud.

"Wanna go home?" Liam asks, looking at him, eyes filled with lust and his fingers rubbing soothingly under the hem of Louis’s shirt, his skin hiking with goose bumps.

Louis talks a lot for a twenty-four year old, but now the only thing he can muster is a quiet nod and a whispered "yes". Liam brings him down slowly and Louis's legs give out for a second, oh, it's happening, it's so happening Louis shakes with it.

"You're not drunk off your arse, are you Lou?"

Liam fingers smooth down his cheeks while he bores his eyes into him

"No, I just had a drink" he admits gulping for air as he looks back at Liam, resting his hands on Liam’s clothed chest- he really want to go home before busting a nut in a bathroom.

"Enough to remember all of this?"

"Fuck,” he mutters tip toeing and nuzzling at Liam's neck, Liam's cologne is making his head dizzy, catching his breath for a second before he nods.

"Let's go"

They make their way through the line of people dancing around them, a spiral of energy coursing through their bodies, Louis feels hot and Liam's hand on the small of his back is scorching and heavy. There's this current slipping through his skin that makes him shudder every time Liam's fingers stroke the dips by his spine, it's unforgiving and heady, and he’s feeling giddy with it. He waves a goodbye to Niall and Harry that grin idiotically at them. Zayn just looks at Liam all knowing, this silent conversation of eyebrows and eyes Louis can't understand- and doesn't even want to. Louis never thought this would happen, but Liam's body is so solidly behind him, he can't find it in his bones to pinch at his cheeks and by the worst of nightmares, wake up alone in his bed.

Liam's hand finds his, hot and wide against his own and he's led to his car in silence, their hands untangle for a second while Liam fumbles with the keys to open the car. Louis would frown, but as soon as they're inside Liam holds his hand again, his thumb caressing his skin idly, the motion almost hypnotizing in Louis's eyes. Louis stares at their hands the whole ride to Liam's place.

He's feeling erratic as they step inside, Louis notices the dimmed lights and the smell of Liam's everything, from clothes to his own skin, but Liam's hand grounds him somehow, Liam can do that. It inebriates him.

"You want some water?" Liam asks low as soon as they step in

Liam brings him a cup and Louis sips from it watching Liam take his shoes off by the entrance. It all seems so calm and natural that for a second Louis thinks nothing will happen; the tightness in his jeans is strong and insisting though. He slugs the water down pressing a hand to his forehead, he might actually faint at any moment.

"What do you want to do Louis?"

Liam asks once he's close, takes the cup of water from his hands and sets on the counter.

Louis can't find in his body to say how much he wants Liam's hands all over him, a sudden whimper escapes when Liam's fingers roam under the hem of his shirt, pressing by his hips

"I want all of you," he hears himself say, chest heaving in fear of Liam rejecting him somehow. As Louis reaches for Liam's forearm Louis sees Liam smile a succinctly and murmuring a good that he doesn't register because Liam hauls him up holding him by the middle and his mouth, fuck, Liam's mouth is against his and Louis breathes because yes. His mouth is so hot and soft, gliding against Louis's own with such ease and politeness as if he's asking for permission, Liam's tongue licking his bottom lip.

Louis feels himself being shuffled across the rooms and hallways of Liam’s flat; he doesn’t remember being here a lot, and the excitement of not knowing where he is because he’s not familiar with the environment adds to the euphoria his mind is immersed in. He hits the bed, a soft thump against the cool sheets, a contrasting sensation exploding in goose bumps and he is suddenly overwhelmed with LiamLiamLiam, the firmness of his body and the scalding feeling of his skin against skin. Louis shudders and his chest heaves with an explosion of butterflies and a hundred hammering thunders. He takes off his shirt and while Liam pulls off his one straddling Louis's hips, he doesn't have the time to think because Liam catches his lips again hungry and dirty, hesitation leaving his movements at once, his hands roaming over Louis and Louis feels so much, love, passion, trepidation all in one. His hands drift from his chest to his arse and squeezes, making Louis's hips hitch and grind against him

"I want to fuck you Lou, can I?" Liam mouths at Louis's collarbones and Louis nods hastily, finding it impossible to answer using his vocal chords. His cock is straining in his jeans and Liam takes them off leisurely, the slow and constant scratch of its material making Louis shudder under the careful eye of Liam, what a teasing fuck. Liam hands surge up laying on Louis's inner thighs, fingers moving in circles before Liam's hot mouth breathes over his clothed cock- Louis could cry, but ends up groaning when Liam’s lips catch up at the waistband of his pants and pull down revealing Louis’s cock dribbling precome.

"Liam, Liam, please, " he groans when Liam licks a stripe up till his cockhead teasingly, tongue flat and wide, he's starting to feel heat coiling in his stomach, spilling a line of please, please, oh, fuck, Liam envelopes him in his mouth in one go, catching Louis by surprise, his hands scrambling for Liam's shoulders to keep him there. It's hot; Liam's mouth was crafted in hell, now he knows.

Liam bobs his head sucking relentless, cheeks hollowing prettily while Louis caresses them in awe until he keens startlingly when he feels Liam's cool and lubed finger teasing the tight ring of muscles, back arching up and pushing back onto Liam's fingers as the other man pulls off his cock and blows on it, “Oh- Lia- fuck!”.

"You're so beautiful, truly" Liam strokes his cheeks looking at him fondly and Louis smiles up at him surging to kiss him slow and gentle before Liam eases him back down on the bed, nipping lightly at his jaw lip. Liam slowly eases two fingers working them in and out kissing every inch of his body, stopping to suck several love bites on Louis's chest, blooming of a dark shade of red under his eyes. Louis clenches his eyes shut at the feel of a third finger in him, Liam reassuring him in his soothing voice, words of encouragement and, oh-

"Oh! Oh, Liam fuck me please, please, please" Louis buzzes as Liam crooks his fingers, caressing the bundle of nerves inside him, mouth falling slack and fingers clenching aimlessly on the blankets around him. Tears sting at his eyes before at the third rub at his prostate Louis comes spurting white streaks across his chest, easing just a bit of the arousal he accumulated, his dick still twitching against his stomach. He catches a breath, Liam's fingers still moving into him slowly and Louis feels so full.

"You know you are beautiful, yes?" Liam encourages again and licks Louis’s come off his chest, long stripes making Louis's cock fill up again at the sight.

"Liam fuck me please, I swear if you don't fuck me-" Louis trashes pulling in Liam’s arse with the balls of his feet

"’Scuse me?" Liam's voice returns back at his ear and Louis shivers with it. Cupping Liam's face with his hands, he doesn't manage to understand how Liam took his jeans and pants off, found a condom and rolled it on while kissing Louis, but once he feels Liam's cock nudging at his hole Louis sighs at the contact and forgets what he wants to say.

"I thought so,” Liam smirks and Louis pinches at his skin before kissing him again and laughing with him, his heart soars and throbs in his ribcage, this continuous flutter stirring inside of him, he thought about this for so long

"I love you, you know?" Liam whispers at his chest, close to the beating of his heart, the rumble in his voice reverberating in Louis's skin, eyes steady and careful on Louis and Louis’s eyes well up when he whispers "I love you too, so much” and then he laughs bringing his arms up to hold Liam’s head against his, foreheads touching.

He wasn’t prepared for Liam to smile so happily resembling a younger, much innocent version of himself, cheeks rising and eyes crinkling so much Louis’s can’t even see them.

“Ready, babe?”

Louis nods and Liam kisses him and pushes in gradually, murmuring nonsense in Louis’s ear, he then lifts away towering over Louis and holds his leg around his waist, fingers dipping in Louis’s skin. He hopes he’ll see finger shaped bruises in there, to remember everything.

“Kiss me you lazy git,” Louis begs tugging Liam down again to capture his bottom lip, biting and nipping at it.

Liam is so thick inside him, and Louis breathes in distracted by Liam’s mouth on his neck, he shudders sensitive and grinds up against Liam, as he holds his hand and whispers Move, I want to feel you, he wishes they could stay like this. Liam pulls back a little looking at Louis in the eyes, he feels his stomach twist again, Liam’s gaze on him is making his skin prickle in eagerness and in silence and eyes charged in pure lust Liam thrusts into him slowly and then picking up pace, holding Louis’s leg tightly around his middle.

He feels so hot with Liam’s gaze is still on him unmoving, until he can only hear the slap of skin against skin, his brain fuzzing of everything else apart from Liam’s body and the glide of Liam’s cock inside of him, the groans and grunts of Liam’s voice huddling his mind. His orgasm hits him like a firework, explosion of lights inside his eyelids and tingles across his body, the power and passion of red rose, the excitement of a bronze chrysanthemum, the boldness of a dark blue delphinium and the contentment of million daisies springing on his skin. He kisses Liam until he feels him too coming inside him with a guttural groan muted by their mouths and Louis licks the sound out of him, the aftershocks still vibrating in his body.

“Can we try that with you under me laying on a mass of flowers next time?” Louis breathes in the hollow of Liam’s neck still trying to catch air in his lungs. Liam laughs wholeheartedly and he nods about to pull out when Louis stops him murmuring a no, no to his ears

“Don’t pull out yet, stay”

“It’ll be gross and sticky, Lou”

“Please” he whines sleepily

He sleeps with Liam still inside of him, curled under the blankets and Liam’s body hot against his. His heart wheels and he sleeps listening to Liam’s breath caressing his back.

He’s never felt this blissful.

-

Louis feels pleasingly tired when he wakes up in the morning, held close by a warm body in which he revels in. He smiles concisely, looking at Liam above him while he breathes in and out calm and quiet. The dark blinds filter the rays of the sun through the room and Louis even if a bit sad about getting out of Liam's embrace marvels at how nice Liam's room is, quite spacious and with two posters on the walls stitched at the top of the headboard. He pulls on Liam's plaid and buttons it wondering if Liam would let him steal this one too, he has a collection to finish. His room is nice and comforting in its desert sand colour, the maroon draperies and white cupboards. He notices a pile of CDs at the side of Liam's stereo that sits by his desk neatly organized in music sheets and two single Alstroemeria and Dahlia. Louis looks back at Liam laying on his side, snoring softly and grins walking into the living room.

There he spots a pattern of flowers sitting on a wooden shelf carving in the wall above the TV, then Louis recognizes the fresh and sweet smell of alyssums, petunias, gardenias and… those were the flowers Louis gave him.

"What a sap,” he whispers happily to himself, looking at the stream of chocolate cosmos and Louis observes the scale of meaning, from the gratitude of Dahlias and Camellias to love and passion of Heliotrope and Roses, Liam knew all along. He kept every single flower Louis gave him, he always smiled appreciatively, and Louis remembers that.

“I kept them for you” Louis hears before Liam's arms hold him close to his chest, he is so warm and safe Louis would stay like that forever, feeling Liam’s heartbeat against his skin.

He looks at the tanned skin of Liam arms and he has to breathe to keep it cool because he might squeal or scream or melt. They made love. Fuck. Liam made love to him and now he's hugging him and Louis is not panicking or rushing out or else. He feels so good in Liam's hold.

"I did a hell lot of work, you'd have to keep them" he leaves the you arranged them so nicely apart, because he's still envious of the way Liam disposes flowers this easily and make them look this pretty. Liam laughs a bit throaty and Louis wonders how much he could make Liam laugh like this while he's in his embrace.

"Absolutely, then, I think it's the Camellias that did the work"

"You made me get till the roses to get in my pants! You bloody-" Liam kisses him in lieu of the moment and Louis get to finish his outrage in a stifled groan against Liam's mouth and his hands on Liam's chest

"That was your plan! I was just following in it!" Liam says against his mouth grinning amused

"I love you, you prick"

 

\--


End file.
